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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23071243">seek no favor</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TolkienGirl/pseuds/TolkienGirl'>TolkienGirl</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>All That Glitters Gold Rush!AU: The Full Series [191]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, Haleth is a badass as always, Interlude, Lake Mithrim, Plots and Plans, but also a Beren/Luthien shipper I mean who isn't, title from a poem by Audre Lorde</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 09:09:04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>400</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23071243</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TolkienGirl/pseuds/TolkienGirl</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Haleth is not concerned with the opinions of men.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Beren Erchamion &amp; Haleth of the Haladin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>All That Glitters Gold Rush!AU: The Full Series [191]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1300685</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>seek no favor</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Happy International Women's Day lol</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Haleth stands on the shores of the lake, and knows that she is being watched. She has seen the blackberry head of the spy bobbing up and down, keeping to the withered cattails at the water’s far edge.</p><p>She thinks he is young, and like the rest of fort’s occupants, foolish.</p><p>Haleth is not spying in return. She is thinking, and she prefers to do <em>that</em> alone. A number of choices are before her. A red-faced boy peeping at her as if she is a hunting cat and he a burrowing vole has no bearing on any of them.</p><p>Whether they are young or old, Haleth is not concerned with the opinions of men.</p><p>She could go back to Thingol at once. She could delay a little longer, until Fingolfin knows whether <em>he</em> will stay or go.</p><p>She could turn and head for the mountains, and wash her hands of pale-faced affairs.</p><p>(She could mourn her brother.)</p><p>(Her brother—newly—dead—)</p><p>She decides that Thingol can wait, since he has not the greatest need. Need <em>is </em>what she respects, rather than authority. Fingolfin has been a grateful ally, and a useful one. He has never tried to command her or her company.</p><p>Haleth cares nothing, then, for <em>men</em>—but Beren is her friend, and Luthien’s beloved, and <em>he </em>needs all the help he can get.</p><p>Beren comes and finds her. Since he is also young (older than Haleth, but that doesn’t matter because he is also foolish), he does not know to leave her to herself.</p><p>“<em>You</em> must want to be moving on,” she says, leaning on a walking stick that Wister made her, unasked.</p><p>Beren shrugs. “I want to see Finrod safe,” he answers. “I’d hoped to see him happy. That’s not likely, now.”</p><p>“What a strange tangle, their family.” Haleth shakes her head. “I do not envy them. Still, Fingolfin and his children are a good sort. And Finrod.”</p><p>“You wish to stay, then?”</p><p>She sees the dark-haired spy again, and she sighs. “I think of it as waiting, rather. If a war is coming, I would like to know where the arrows fall, and what bows shot them.”</p><p>Beren nods. He wants Luthien, and that is all, but he is loyal.</p><p>That is why Haleth trusts him as she does.</p><p>It is a great burden, to be a leader.</p><p>It means that you are always being watched.</p>
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